Because we have no monarch, "we the people" have to be the ones to invest in our cities, our states and our country.

With the negative attitudes people have toward taxes today, we, the American people, have made no real effort to pay for our protracted and expensive wars. And we, the people of the state of Louisiana, haven't invested sufficiently in recovery from devastating storms and floods, in education and in the health of our citizens.

Every year we cut higher ed and health care as though there are no consequences to approaching a budget amount of zero. Convening a constitutional convention to remove protections from other parts of the budget will not solve the problem. Removing those protections will only allow us to move backwards in other areas as well.

There was a time when paying taxes was a privilege. If a person was making enough money or owned enough property to pay taxes, it meant she/he was really doing well. The early colonies taxed their citizens with "faculty taxes," which were based on their ability to pay (owned property, owned a business, etc.).

As in other areas, those who invest reap the rewards. Nationally, during World War I and its post-war period, top marginal income tax rates peaked at 77 percent in 1918. During World War II, top marginal rates peaked at 94 percent in 1944 and 1945 and stayed near 90 percent until 1963. This was a period of building and prosperity in our country. Those who invested reaped the rewards.

The only viable solution to Louisiana’s budget woes at this point is to end the regular session early so we can spend some time considering how we can all invest in Louisiana together.